ICE busts illegal aliens in New York, including child rapists

Officers of the Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency arrested 32 illegal criminal aliens who had been previously convicted of sex crimes in Long Island, New York. Long Island is one of a number of jurisdictions in the US that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities and have thus earned the "sanctuary" moniker. ICE made the arrests at the culmination of the 10-day Operation SOAR (Sex Offender Alien Removal) that ended on August 3.

The illegal aliens caught by immigration officers had been convicted before of various sex crimes including sexual abuse, sexual assault on young children, rape, child endangerment, and promoting sexual performance of a child. Among them were citizens of the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, as well as the Caribean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Among the illegal caught by ICE were:

A 24-year-old Salvadoran national who was arrested and charged criminally with first degree sexual abuse and sexual contact with a victim less than 11 years old. Criminal charges are still pending. The victim in this case is a 4-year-old female. He was arrested in Wyandanch, Aug. 3 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

A 36-year-old national of Guatemala with a prior conviction of second degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child. The victim in this case was a 13 year old female. He was sentenced to six months in jail and 10 years of probation supervision. The registered Level 1 sexual offender was arrested in Brentwood Aug. 2 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 32-year-old Honduran man with prior convictions of criminal sexual act in the third degree, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse in the third degree. He was sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision. The victim, in this case, was a 15-year-old female. He also has prior convictions of driving while intoxicated. This registered Level 1 sex offender was arrested in Brentwood, Aug. 1 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 38-year-old citizen and national of Ecuador with a prior conviction of the sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old female victim. He was arrested in Central Islip, Aug. 1 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 55-year-old Salvadoran man convicted of second-degree rape and sentenced to one year in jail. The victim, in this case, was 12 years old. He was arrested in Copiague, July 27 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

A 21-year-old Haitian man with a prior conviction of two counts of promote a sexual performance by a child less than 17 years of age and sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision. The victims, in this case, were both 15 years of age. He was arrested in Riverhead, July 27 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 36-year-old Salvadoran man convicted of tthird-degree rape and sentenced to 10 years of probation supervision. The victim, in this case, was 15 years old. He was arrested in Glen Cove, July 25 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 46-year-old Salvadoran national with a prior conviction of endangering the welfare of a child was sentenced to three years’ probation. The original charge was sexual abuse in the first degree: sexual contact with an individual less than 11 years old. The victim in this case was 7 years old. He was arrested in Mineola, July 25, and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

A 45-year-old citizen of Trinidad and Tobago convicted of third degree rape of a victim incapable of consent and sentenced to 5 years of probation supervision. This Level 1 sex offender was arrested in East Hampton, July 29 and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

According to ICE, the criminal history of the illegal aliens arrested, many of whom received previous deportations, include: acting in a manner to injure a child, assault, third degree attempted rape, burglary, attempted sexual abuse, criminal sex act, endangering the welfare of a child, endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person, forcible touching, promoting a sexual performance by a child, public lewdness, first degree rape, second degree rape, third degree rape, reckless endangerment, first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual abuse, sexual abuse, forcible compulsion, sexual contact with an individual incapable of consent, and sexual misconduct.

“ICE’s continuing commitment to making our communities safer is underscored by operations like this one targeting sexual offenders. These actions focus our resources on the most egregious criminals and promote public safety in the communities in which we live and work,” New York Field Office Director Thomas R. Decker said in a written statement. “ERO officers are out there every day enforcing immigration law with targeted enforcement actions. ICE will not waiver in its promise to arrest and remove criminal aliens from our neighborhoods.”